Two electrics leave Noblesville

The City of Noblesville has now officially evicted the Indiana Transportation Museum from Forest Park. Most of the remaining electrics owned by ITM are still in the park and are now under the authority, if not the property, of the city. A previous post on Wednesday had noted that Singer 1 was moved to temporary storage in Francesville on Wednesday the 10th. It's now been confirmed that the locomotive was sold to RAIL Foundation of Michigan City. Definite plans for the diminutive locomotive have not been finalized but it is intended that it be preserved and placed on display. For the time being its ownership has been updated.

Another piece of electric equipment that left Forest Park on Wednesday was the Lafayette Birney body shown above (well, you'll have to use your imagination!) in a photo taken about a week ago. This car, whose number is unknown, has also been acquired by RAIL Foundation and moved into temporary storage in Francesville. It is intended that the car be preserved and, eventually, restored.

These two departures leave a total of 12 pieces of electric railway equipment still listed under ITM ownership. Three are Lackawanna MU cars stored in Cicero on a privately-owned siding, so it's thought that those cars are still under ITM ownership and control. Of the other nine, ownership is uncertain given the eviction order but most are thought to have been sold (at least on paper) to other organizations. For the time being, I'm following my longtime practice of not considering a car's ownership to be formally transferred until the car itself has moved, hence the nine pieces of equipment remaining in Forest Park will remain listed under ITM ownership until they're relocated. Whether that happens sooner or later is tough to predict.